Goose Egg Marathon Film #27A Prairie Home Companion(2006, Robert Altman)
Twenty minutes in I was really having a blast with this, and I was thinking this would be a highlight of the marathon. I had a couple good belly laughs and I was really diggin' the down-home tone and knee slappin' performances. I was enjoying the witty banter between Meryl Streep and Tilly Tomlin and was really looking forward to where it would go next. And for the most part it kept on doing the same thing. Which was...fine....but all-in-all just resulted in a nice evening of entertainment and not a whole lot more. It's one that would be a good safe pick when you have to watch a movie with your folks or whatever.
The setup is, we have an on-stage live recording of an AM folk music show in this vintage theater in St. Paul. They've been running this show for decades, but this night is different. All signs point to this being the last night their vintage theater will be open - most likely this will be the last performance they'll all have together. The film centers around the performances . I'm not generally a fan of this type of music but I found myself having a a lot of fun with it - seeing guys like Woody Harrelson and Meryl Streep whoop it up without a hint of irony. Garrison Keillor (the actually PHC guy) is our MOC and is fun to watch here.
There is a lose narrative thread about a woman dressed in white, and another plot of a visiting Texan. I think the film was trying to something pretty poignant there and it missed the mark by a bit. But all in all, not much to complain about.
It might be an interesting rorschak test to see if audiences thought the Minnesotans portrayed here were being honored or ridiculed in this. I saw hints of both. I'm not from the mid-west but seem to find myself pulling for them. Probably a Coen brothers thing, ya?
So anyways I suppose if you've heard reviews of this and are interested, it's likely pretty close to what you're expecting. It was a nice light film in a marathon that has featured some pretty intense material over the months. Glad I watched it.
Verdict:
Harmless entertainment - a lot of fun and pretty humorous in places but not a whole lot more.
Grade: B